


Relieve

by Nununununu



Series: Comfortween 2020 [31]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Attraction, Caretaking, Comfortween 2020, Day 31, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Force Visions, Holding Hands, Hugs, M/M, ManDadlorian, Pre-Relationship, Season 2 Episode 1 spoilers, Slice of Life, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27400096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu
Summary: Try as he might, Cobb can’t help but be intently aware of the other man’s gloved hand still in his.
Relationships: Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Cobb Vanth, Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Din Djarin & Cobb Vanth, Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Series: Comfortween 2020 [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948441
Comments: 18
Kudos: 279
Collections: Comfortween 2020





	Relieve

**Author's Note:**

> 31\. Too Spooky!  
> For the prompt _calming someone down after a fright or helping them with anxiety._
> 
> Canon divergent in that the characters meet again/don't leave Tatooine as soon as they did.
> 
> (Date will be adjusted to match with series order in a bit. Update: slightly edited).

“Kid?” Cobb blinks when the little one lets out a long, low unexpected moan that’s entirely heartbreaking to hear, before scuttling as fast as his little legs will take him across the room and diving head first into a thankfully empty jug, “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Pushing himself up from the armour he’s been going over – not Beskar, but not too bad either; it’ll do in a pinch – while keeping the kid company on the floor, Cobb goes to investigate.

“You okay in there?” He can see two long ears quivering when he peers into the jug, and the curve of a soft, rounded little head as the little one huddles in on himself. The kid lets out another moan as those ears droop and Cobb winces a bit in sympathy, easing himself back down again, this time next to the jug, “That’s a no, isn’t it. You want to come out of there and clue me in to what happened?”

“Muh,” That, too, is a no.

“You want to come out of there, clue me in to what happened and have a snack?” Cobb amends. If the kid’s had a scare, then food might help settle him and help cheer him up.

“ _Muh_ ,” This response is decidedly mournful.

“Really, no appetite?” Cobb’s eyebrows rise – he’s seen exactly how much grub the little one can pack away, even on an already full stomach. Whatever went on _can’t_ have been good.

It seems likely that it’s to do with the kid’s powers.

“You sensed something, didn’t you,” Cobb keeps his voice calm and quiet, hoping his tone will help reassure even if the little one doesn’t get all of the words, “You know, you’re welcome to stay in the jug if you want. But if there’s something bad going on or that’s _going_ to go on, I’d sure appreciate knowing about it, if there’s anything you can do to give me a hint. Fair enough if you can’t, but if you can it would be real kind of you, as I’d like to take care of whatever it is and I just bet so would someone _else_ we both know.”

The little soft head emerges just enough for two large eyes to peek at him over the edge of the pot.

“Yeah, you know he’ll get everything sorted,” Cobb finds a smile creeping across his face in response to that questioning look and the child’s accompanying croon, “Reckon he’ll probably head off to deal with it right away, soon as he knows. Will give me the boot if I try to get a look in, most probably – what do you think?”

“Mmm,” Cocking his head to one side after scrabbling out of the pot and plopping down onto the floor, the kid considers Cobb with a look on his tiny face that suggests he doesn’t think much of the man’s chances.

“Yeah, that’s about what I reckon too,” Grinning a little crookedly, Cobb agrees, “You see, my aim is good and I can hold my own against most of everything we come up against here, if we don’t include that dragon; I reckon I make a decent enough Marshal for this here town. But partnered with a guy like that?” He can only shake his head, “I’d just be holding him back.”

“Mah,” The child pats Cobb’s knee as if to console him, before clambering a little awkwardly up onto the man’s lap. That done, he pauses, blinks up at Cobb and bounces experimentally, “Buh?”

A poky little finger introduces itself to Cobb’s thigh.

“Yeah, that’s a leg and not armour,” Tempted to chuckle, Cobb confirms, “I guess you’re used to the Beskar, huh?”

Although surely the Mandalorian must sometimes take it off; the man has to shower and the like. Maybe he just chooses not to in the kid’s presence – or maybe it’s not allowed.

Maybe he’s not allowed to remove it in _anyone’s_ presence. Which seems kind of lonely, if true, although it’s not for Cobb to judge – and he can think of a few ways to work around it.

The feeling of a small warm body deciding to determinedly nestle its way into the gap between Cobb’s arm and his side interrupts that somewhat distracting line of thought.

“You all right, there?” Cobb enquires, but the kid just burrows in further, turns himself around awkwardly and then pops his head back out to look up at the man with a triumphant gurgle. Cobb’s lips twitch for all he tries to tamp down on his grin, “I take it you’re comfortable.”

“Mm,” This noise is clearly one of agreement.

Looks like he’s not going anywhere for a while then. Cobb can’t say he’s got any problem with that, except for just one thing it would ease his mind to clear up. He’s held off asking, not wanting to risk upsetting the kid any further, but the little one’s hopefully shaken the scare off enough now.

“You okay with letting me know if whatever spooked you involved the Mandalorian?” He’s confident the man will have already dealt with whatever it was, if so.

That is, almost entirely confident. Because there’s always something lurking out there ready to take even the strongest off guard. Something maybe even bigger than a krayt dragon.

“It didn’t,” A voice replies that distinctly doesn’t belong to the child, and Cobb jerks his head up almost as quickly as the kid does to discover the Mandalorian silhouetted in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching them.

Exactly how long has he been there?

“ _Baa!_ ” The kid’s so fast to whip out of the nook he’s made for himself to throw himself towards his guardian, Cobb has to do a quick bit of juggling to prevent a faceplant onto the floor from his lap.

“Womp rat,” Stepping properly into the room, the Mandalorian drops to one knee to greet his child.

“ _That’s_ what you came up with for a name?” There’s so much affection only very poorly buried in the other man’s voice, Cobb has to clear his throat before he can make the teasing enquiry.

“Suits him, don’t you think,” In place of actually answering, the Mandalorian stands back up seemingly only for the purpose of letting the kid joyfully scale him, tiny hands and feet finding purchase on the armour in a manner that looks impressively well practiced in comparison to the little one’s slightly clumsy attempt to clamber onto Cobb’s lap. Only when he reaches the man’s hip does his guardian raise an arm to hold him in place, a contented smile spreading across the kid’s face as he leans into that gloved hand.

“Looks like somebody missed you,” Cobb simply has to grin, accepting when the Mandalorian next holds out his free hand to him in clear offer, intently aware of the fact the other man doesn’t even bother to brace himself on hauling him up.

There’s a lot of strength there under that armour, as well as in the Beskar itself, that much is obvious. This thought along with the proximity should not be enough to have warmth rise in Cobb’s chest as he finds his feet.

“Thanks,” Were a certain pair of pointed ears not present to overhear, he’d be fairly tempted to enquire whether the Mandalorian might be amenable to _Cobb_ climbing his way up him – and to wrap his legs around those hips.

“You got taken advantage of,” The Mandalorian states, when Cobb’s about make the more child-friendly enquiry of how the business the man had had to care of had gone instead.

As understated as it is, Cobb’s certain there’s a touch of amusement in the observation.

“You reckon?” Try as he might, he can’t help but be intently aware of the other man’s gloved hand still in his.

He gets a huff through the Mandalorian’s nose that sounds yet closer to a laugh, “Now he knows he can get away with it, you’re going to find yourself in for carrying duty.”

As if to prove as much, the kid makes a considering noise, scrabbles that bit higher up on his guardian’s side, and then holds his arms out to Cobb in blatant entreaty.

“I can’t say that I mind,” Cobb hadn’t known the kid could look any _more_ adorable, but the pleading eyes and wrinkled brow achieve it. It doesn’t take any more than that for him to acquiesce.

“You say that now,” The Mandalorian observes, once Cobb’s got the little one crawling over his shoulders, in a tone that rather implies he considers Cobb to be doomed, “Wait until he takes it upon himself to use his abilities to steer.”

“And sees something edible?” Cobb both chuckles and winces a bit at the implication.

“What _he_ considers edible,” The Mandalorian’s helmet tilts downwards for a moment in agreement and also –

Oh. Cobb doesn’t quite bite his lip. Yeah, he should let go of the man’s hand.

Although, despite telegraphing the possibility, the Mandalorian’s still not doing as much either.

“I bet you could tell me some real good stories about that, huh?” Tipping his head to the side to see the kid as best he can, Cobb addresses the little one even as he slowly tightens his fingers just a bit around the other man’s. Just to see what the Mandalorian will do.

“Mm!” The kid bounces enthusiastically on his perch, as if remembering snacks of the past.

“You don’t,” The statement seems to come out of nowhere, calmly neutral, although the careful flex of the Mandalorian’s hand implies that it could in fact well be anything but.

“Hmm?” All too absorbed in the fact those gloved fingers are tightening around his in return rather than pulling away, Cobb can only look askance at him.

“Hold me back,” Helmet turning to one side, the Mandalorian explains, a little gruff.

Said gruffness does nothing to prevent Cobb’s grin from spreading out fully over his face. A reasonable amount of warmth spreads itself out there likewise, although he’s not going to admit to that.

“Yeah?” Reaching up with his free hand, he catches hold of the kid to draw him gently down, grateful when the little one just squeals and kicks his feet in acceptance at being lowered to the floor rather than in protest, “Had you got back already when –?”

Rather than saying it, he just nods at the child.

“No,” They both look after the little one for a moment as he toddles off to merrily investigate his jug, before the Mandalorian’s attention returns to Cobb, “He gets visions sometimes. I appreciate you watching over him.”

“It was no trouble,” Waving that off, Cobb almost misses what the Mandalorian says next.

“Come with me next time.”

“Mm?” His head snaps around to look back at the man, but the Mandalorian’s finally letting go of Cobb’s hand to head over towards his kid. Flexing his fingers a little, Cobb strives to ignore the fact this feels like a loss, “Can do – if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” The ruffle of that gloved hand against the soft head makes it once again impossible to hear anything but fondness in the man’s voice as he adds, “Someone else can watch over this womp rat.”

“Most folk here would be delighted to,” Having been told as much by no few of his people, Cobb can say this without doubt.

“Hm,” While the Mandalorian’s response implies there might be some vetting going on, he nods in acceptance. Having been watching the kid demonstrate his ability to climb both in and out of the jug before getting distracted by a toy, he then glances back at Cobb in a way that looks a little less casual than it’s no doubt intended to be, “Something else.”

“Yeah?” Cobb definitely isn’t just standing there watching him and nor does his heart leap at that glance.

“You were wondering about my armour,” There’s that hint of amusement again, “Not including the helmet.”

“Can’t deny it,” Cobb has the slight suspicion he might know where this is going. Well. A very big _hope_ he might know, anyway.

And sure enough, it’s confirmed when the Mandalorian tilts his head in a way that implies he might just be smiling – and that his gaze is still very much on Cobb.

“It _does_ come off.”


End file.
